Agarwood Essential Oil Ameliorates Restrain Stress-Induced Anxiety and Depression by Inhibiting HPA Axis Hyperactivity

Abstract

In our previous investigation, we found that agarwood essential oil (AEO) has a sedative-hypnotic effect. Sedative-hypnotic drugs usually have an anxiolytic effect, where concomitant anxiety and depression are a common comorbidity. Therefore, this study further investigated the anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of AEO using a series of animal behavior tests on a restraint stress-induced mice model. The elevated plus maze (EPM) test, the light dark exploration (LDE) test, and the open field (OF) test demonstrated that AEO has a significant anxiolytic effect. Simultaneously, the tail suspension (TS) test and the forced swimming (FS) test illuminated that AEO has an antidepressant effect with the immobility time decreased. Stress can cause cytokine and nitric oxide (NO) elevation, and further lead to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity. AEO was shown to dose-dependently inhibit the levels of cytokines, including interleukin 1α (IL-1α), IL-1β, and IL-6 in serum, significantly decrease the mRNA level of neural nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, and inhibit the nNOS protein level in the hippocampus. Concomitant measurements of the HPA axis upstream regulator corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and its receptor CRFR found that AEO significantly decreases the gene expression of CRF, and significantly inhibits the gene transcription and protein expression of CRFR in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Additionally, AEO dose-dependently reduces the concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (CORT) downstream of the HPA axis, as measured by ELISA kits. These results together demonstrate that AEO exerts anxiolytic and antidepressant effects which are related to the inhibition of CRF and hyperactivity of the HPA axis.

Relationships between the changes in sleep patterns and sleep quality among Chinese people during the 2019 coronavirus disease outbreak

“…Without a curative drug, people will be anxious about their health when infected. Anxiety activates the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis [ 33 ] and hypersecretion of stress-related hormones, thereby reducing duration of deep sleep and precipitating sleep disturbances [ 34 ]. A study of insomnia of medical staff involved the COVID-19 outbreak found that worry about being infected was related to sleep disorder [ 21 ], which was in line with our study.…”

Chinese Herbal Medicine for the Treatment of Depression: Effects on the Neuroendocrine-Immune Network

“…CHM constituents have been shown to produce antidepressant effects in animal or cell models by antagonizing the CRF 1 receptor [ 9 , 110 , 163 ]. The activity of three major constituents isolated from St. John’s wort, hypericin, pseudohypericin, and hyperforin against the CRF 1 receptor has been examined by measuring their effects on CRF-stimulated cAMP formation [ 163 ].…”

The Combination of Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg and Aucklandia costus Falc. Volatile Oils Exerts Antidepressant Effects in a CUMS-Induced Rat Model by Regulating the HPA Axis and Levels of Neurotransmitters

“…Accordingly, body weight assessment, sucrose preference test (SPT), forced swimming test (FST) and open field test (OFT) were executed in CUMS-induced rats to analyze the antidepressant effects of CMVO after inhalational administration. Previously, it was shown that CX volatile oil exerts an antidepressant effect by regulating hyperactivity of the HPA axis ( Wang et al, 2018b ), while the main active component of MX volatile oil exerts a neuroprotective effect on the hippocampus ( Zhao et al, 2018 ). In addition, abnormal function of the HPA axis and deficiency of hippocampal monoamine neurotransmitters have been implicated in the pathogenesis of depression ( Chen et al, 2019 ; Xing et al, 2019 ).…”